Welcome to Fourth Generation Farmgirl’s, “The Weekly Bleat.” For those who aren’t sure, a bleat is the characteristic sound a sheep makes–similar to a baaah. In the future, “The Weekly Bleat” will briefly share happenings from Green Hill Farm as well as anything else that’s considered uplifting or entertaining. This first bleat fittingly focuses on our sheep and the semi-annual […]
On Green Hill Farm, we have a menagerie of sheep, chickens, cats, and dogs, and it’s my goal to make sure that everyone is healthy and happy. That includes our injured hen, a Buff Orpington called Honey. When she became lame, we started putting her outside everyday to enjoy the fresh air and sunshine. In addition to Honey Chicken, we […]
In life, we often go through our days interacting with others, but not really connecting. It’s just the way it is. Most days we are busy, stressed, and distracted–replaying yesterday and worrying about tomorrow. It can be difficult to be in the moment, to observe and listen, to be present–to look and actually see. Not that we mean to or […]
With the arrival of fall, my thoughts turn to cool, crisp mornings, fields full of pumpkins, the smell of a crackling fire and the taste of hot apple cider. This time of year often causes us to reflect on happy times. It’s always interesting to me how our senses ignite memories. Memories that take us back to a single, meaningful […]
Growing up on a farm as a child afforded many wonderful experiences. Meaningful experiences that shaped my values and inspired me. I remember when I was about 6 or 7 years old, my dad decided that it would be nice to have fresh milk and eggs. So, he bought a Holstein cow named Bessie and ordered chicks. I remember sitting in our living room early in the morning before school with an old towel on my lap, carefully cradling a warm, fuzzy chick in my hands–marveling at its tiny body and feet as well as the soft, little sounds it made. Every morning over the next 2-3 weeks, I would hurriedly get dressed and eat breakfast so that I could hold one for a few minutes before the school bus came. I loved those little chicks! As the chicks grew into hens, they would free range all through the pastures and even around the house; but, for some reason, though, they didn’t like to lay their eggs in the coop. Much to my surprise and joy, I would walk along outdoors, and just FIND an egg laying out in the yard or under a bush. It was like an Easter egg hunt! After making the discovery that the hens were laying eggs ALL OVER the place, I remember enthusiastically running into the house and searching for my Easter basket. “This is going to be fun!,” I thought. And it was. […]
My name is Tonya, and I grew up on a 300-acre farm in rural Virginia that has been in my family for over 100 years. After graduating from college, receiving my master’s degree in speech and language pathology, and living and working in a small city for six years, I decided to return to the place of my childhood. Here, in this rural area, on this patch of green, where for four generations my family has farmed, gardened, and lived, I, too wanted to be a part of this continuity. As a fourth generation farmgirl, I have many interests that not only include, but also go beyond the basics of farming, gardening, sheep and chicken-keeping. It is all of this and more that I plan on sharing in this blog.
fourth generation farmgirl 